- #1
Eclair_de_XII
- 1,083
- 91
I graduate a year from now, and I've been thinking about the future... Specifically, I'm worried because I have no clear-cut plan for my life after graduation. I really want to enter the actuarial field, but have no tests done yet; I've been too focused on the classes I'm taking right now, that I haven't had any time to study. So it's not like I can start my career, immediately after graduation.
My current plan doesn't really sound at all plausible... I'd try to find temporary employment until I can get enough tests done, so that some insurance industry will even consider me. Ultimately, I'd very much like to move out of this state--or at least out of my mother's house, but a studio apartment would cost at least eight-hundred dollars a month to rent in this state, excluding water and electricity and the like. So I can't help but feel that this hypothetical temporary job I will have to take will cover that. Moreover, if I do decide to move out of state for a job, there's not guarantee that I will keep that job and still have money to pay rent in that state. And it's not like some landlord will consider me unless I have a job to pay for rent...
But I'm very worried that I don't have much relevant job experience to begin with, though. The only job I've had in my entire life is at this homeless shelter working under someone who manages data. Basically, what I do for her, is manage and make spreadsheets detailing (generally) who comes into the shelter, the demographics of those people, and where on the island they originate from. It's really a hand-out job, though, because I used to volunteer there. So I'm kind of worried that I won't have actual job skills when I go to seek employment elsewhere. At the same time, if I left this job, I'd have no way to help pay that tuition and such. And I really like that it allows me flexible hours and let's me work at my own pace. I feel like it would be far too much trouble than it's worth to look for a company who would hire a college student with a busy schedule and no degree, in my last year. But sometimes, I just worry that I am not gaining valuable work experience at this job. I mean, I work with Excel a lot during this job, but it's not like I have any other experience applicable in a workplace environment; just spreadsheets and such. For example, if I wanted to work in some insurance firm, I wouldn't know how to work in a relevant computer program, such as R.
Speaking of which, I really should take the summer vacation to learn how to use that coding program... I mean, I used it sometimes during my elementary probability and statistics class, but during that class, I found it much, much easier to use Excel to do homework. I've also been thinking of trying to get an actuarial examination done in the summer, preferably the financial mathematics exam, because I actually have a book I can use to study for it. I've yet to take the high-level probability courses because of time conflicts with my job, which I am told will only help me prepare for the probability exam. But I will this fall, though it will unfortunately shave a third of my the total hours I can work because it's at an inconvenient time slot. In regards to how I will spend summer vacation, my Calculus IV skills have gotten a bit rusty, and will need to review it in preparation for the classes in the fall. Though, I do kind of want to spend my summer vacation not studying, because I've been feeling a little burnt out as of late... Also, in regards to the data analyst internship position I applied to a few weeks ago, they told me recently that I was not eligible, so I definitely cannot do that for the summer. So I'm just spending the summer vacation working at my current job, while I figure out what to do with my free time.
Anyway, do you think it's too early to begin panicking about finding employment post-graduation? I'm very sorry about ranting on and on... I just have this habit of composing walls of text detailing my thoughts and worries whenever they start to genuinely concern me.
My current plan doesn't really sound at all plausible... I'd try to find temporary employment until I can get enough tests done, so that some insurance industry will even consider me. Ultimately, I'd very much like to move out of this state--or at least out of my mother's house, but a studio apartment would cost at least eight-hundred dollars a month to rent in this state, excluding water and electricity and the like. So I can't help but feel that this hypothetical temporary job I will have to take will cover that. Moreover, if I do decide to move out of state for a job, there's not guarantee that I will keep that job and still have money to pay rent in that state. And it's not like some landlord will consider me unless I have a job to pay for rent...
But I'm very worried that I don't have much relevant job experience to begin with, though. The only job I've had in my entire life is at this homeless shelter working under someone who manages data. Basically, what I do for her, is manage and make spreadsheets detailing (generally) who comes into the shelter, the demographics of those people, and where on the island they originate from. It's really a hand-out job, though, because I used to volunteer there. So I'm kind of worried that I won't have actual job skills when I go to seek employment elsewhere. At the same time, if I left this job, I'd have no way to help pay that tuition and such. And I really like that it allows me flexible hours and let's me work at my own pace. I feel like it would be far too much trouble than it's worth to look for a company who would hire a college student with a busy schedule and no degree, in my last year. But sometimes, I just worry that I am not gaining valuable work experience at this job. I mean, I work with Excel a lot during this job, but it's not like I have any other experience applicable in a workplace environment; just spreadsheets and such. For example, if I wanted to work in some insurance firm, I wouldn't know how to work in a relevant computer program, such as R.
Speaking of which, I really should take the summer vacation to learn how to use that coding program... I mean, I used it sometimes during my elementary probability and statistics class, but during that class, I found it much, much easier to use Excel to do homework. I've also been thinking of trying to get an actuarial examination done in the summer, preferably the financial mathematics exam, because I actually have a book I can use to study for it. I've yet to take the high-level probability courses because of time conflicts with my job, which I am told will only help me prepare for the probability exam. But I will this fall, though it will unfortunately shave a third of my the total hours I can work because it's at an inconvenient time slot. In regards to how I will spend summer vacation, my Calculus IV skills have gotten a bit rusty, and will need to review it in preparation for the classes in the fall. Though, I do kind of want to spend my summer vacation not studying, because I've been feeling a little burnt out as of late... Also, in regards to the data analyst internship position I applied to a few weeks ago, they told me recently that I was not eligible, so I definitely cannot do that for the summer. So I'm just spending the summer vacation working at my current job, while I figure out what to do with my free time.
Anyway, do you think it's too early to begin panicking about finding employment post-graduation? I'm very sorry about ranting on and on... I just have this habit of composing walls of text detailing my thoughts and worries whenever they start to genuinely concern me.
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